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Brunch: Bar Dough
Bar Dough has gracefully been brunching for a couple of years, yet it’s hard to decide which brunch dish is a favorite. An Aperol spritz is the way to start, followed by dishes such as ricotta donuts, Nutella fancy toast, and smashed home fries with aleppo pepper and fennel pollen. Don’t forget classics like cacio e pepe.
Lunch: Il Porcellino
This weekend Denver will escape ultra-high temps, and that means enjoying one of the best things about summer: a picnic in the park. Whether headed to Sloan’s Lake or City Park, a stop at Il Porcellino will provide the sandwiches plus all the fixings to take along. The Hoggie features coppa cotta, house ham, Genoa salami cotta, garlic aioli, tomato, arugula, and vinaigrette on a Grateful Bread roll.
Dinner: Cochino Taco
Part Mexico City street taco, part Tex-Mex, Cochino has a fun, laid-back vibe and tasty eats. Diners can relax on the patio without having to brave downtown traffic and enjoy ceviche or queso, tacos or Dorito nachos, then wash it down with a flight of rare tequilas or a cold Mexican lager.
Drinks: Breckenridge Brewery
Colorado summer weekends are all about lazy days, and Littleton’s outpost of Breckenridge Brewery makes for the ideal version. The farmhouse offers a bar and eating space (there’s also a food truck), but the real draw is the lawn outdoors — for relaxing with a brew by the fire pit, playing giant Jenga, cornhole or bocce ball, and letting the kids run amok.
Late Night: My Brother’s Bar
My Brother’s Bar is a Denver institution, serving soak-it-up burgers into the wee hours. Its founder and longtime owner, James Karagas, died this month at 87. Rather than sell out to big developers, he sold the classic Denver eatery to Danny Newman, son of the longtime general manager. Honor him by ordering the Johnny Burger, topped in jalapeño cream cheese, American and Swiss cheeses, and grilled onions.